BPL Brings Back Player Auction for 2025 Season, Replacing Draft System

The player auction will return to the Bangladesh Premier League with the announcement by the BPL Governing Council, after it remained absent for 12 years. This player auction system was applied in the first two editions of the BPL in 2012 and 2013, while the nine seasons thereafter had a player draft format. The auction is set for November 23rd at a city hotel, with five participating franchises: Dhaka Capitals, Chittagong Royals, Rajshahi Warriors, Rangpur Riders, and Sylhet Titans, to form their teams for the 12th season of the T20 league.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the BPL Governing Council issued a statement that this year's auction will introduce a new franchise ownership cycle and a transparent bidding process. This is designed to bring the BPL in line with international T20 franchise standards.

Under the new system, local players will be divided into six categories and foreign players into five categories. The base price for top 'A' category local cricketers will be 5 million Bangladeshi taka, with bids increasing in increments of 500,000 Bangladeshi taka. The highest category for foreign players will start at US$35,000, with each bid increasing by US$5,000.

Each franchise will be allowed to sign two Bangladeshi players (from A and B categories) and one or two foreign players immediately before the auction, subject to the approval of the BPL Governing Council. The auction will be conducted in two stages: first local players, then foreign players. Each franchise must acquire at least 11 local players from the auction and can have a maximum of 15 local players in the team. Directly contracted players will be exempt from this auction requirement. Each team will have a budget limit of 45 million Bangladeshi Taka for local players, which will not include payments made to directly contracted cricketers.

Teams can register as many foreign players as they wish, but only two to four players can be included in the playing eleven for any match. Each team must acquire at least two foreign players through the auction. The maximum budget for foreign players has been set at US$350,000 per team, including direct contracts. Franchises will not be allowed to pay more than the set price limit or bidding cap.

Players purchased at the auction will be paid in three installments: 25 percent upon signing, 55 percent before the team's last league match, and the remaining 20 percent within 30 days of the tournament's conclusion. All payments will be subject to the tax regulations of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).